It has been almost 50 years since humans last walked on the moon and NASA’s Artemis program is about to change that. The program is expected to send astronauts to the moon, including the first woman and the first person of colour, by 2025. Before that happens the space agency has to test the rocket and the Orion spacecraft that will go to the lunar surface.
The program is broken into three specific missions: Artemis I, Artemis II, and Artemis III. The first mission will test the Space Launch System (SLS), which NASA calls it “mega moon rocket,” It is scheduled for some time in May, however, the date can change depending on various factors. To prepare on Thursday, the rocket will be rolled out to the launchpad, fuelled, and run through a launch countdown, stopping at 10 seconds before it would launch.
The space agency said it may take anywhere between four and 12 hours to travel the 6.5 kilometres from Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) to the launch pad. Tom Whitmeyer, deputy associate administrator for NASA’s exploration systems development division said “The rolling out of the VAB, that’s really an iconic moment for this vehicle. And to be here for a new generation of super-heavy lift, exploration class vehicle,”
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